Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)

Note: As of January 2017, Rensselaer investigators may submit IACUC protocols via the Mentor IACUC system, using their RCS email and password to log in. One logged in, please visit the IACUC "Documentation" page for submission instructions and materials.

The NIH Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare strictly regulates the care and use of animals in research. The federal mandate reads: "Each institution which falls under authority of the federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA; protects all mammals beyond but not including rodents) and/or receives PHS support for research and teaching involving laboratory animals must operate a program with clear lines of authority and responsibility, a properly functioning Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), procedures for self-monitoring, adequate veterinary care, a program of occupational health, sound animal husbandry practices and appropriate maintenance of facilities for housing animals." The IACUC ensures that Rensselaer researchers provide humane care and follow ethical guidelines for all research involving animals.

RPI Investigators Should Know:

The IACUC reports to the Vice President for Research, who is the Rensselaer Institutional Official (IO) of record.